Europe must change! Call for a European Forum of Progressive Forces

The European Union is going through a long-lasting crisis, an existential crisis. All the peoples of Europe, whether or not they are members of the Union, suffer from austerity policies and terrible inequalities. Peace and climate are threatened.

We have had enough of this antisocial, authoritarian, greedy and selfish Europe. We do not accept that the only alternative would be competition between the populist, xenophobic and extreme right-wing nationalist forces separating European peoples, and the forces which propose a strengthening of the austeritarian neoliberal policies resulting from the treaties. This gear prepares or feeds an authoritarian trend in many countries of the Union, with the war of everybody against everybody as the only future.

This is too dangerous, especially after the election of Donald Trump. It is a huge waste when there are so many challenges for peace and the construction of a new social and ecological model for the development of humanity.

We are the ones who are looking for another path: that of building a Europe of social and ecological progress, a feminist and anti-racist Europe, a democratic, welcoming and peaceful Europe.

We know that we are many who share this desire, and that the peoples of Europe can change the course of history. We know that our gathering is urgent and awaited throughout Europe and beyond.

Only the unity of our forces will allow for change. It is time to build a common front, break the walls and open a wide debate to produce progressive solutions together. We must meet, debate – without taboo and without exclusivity – about the convergences, solidarities, common objectives to be found to reach this objective.

We propose to create an annual forum of progressive forces of Europe, a new space for long-term political cooperation, bringing together a very broad panel of left, green and progressive parties, of platforms and political movements, trade union and social organisations, NGOs, intellectuals and citizens movements from all over Europe. We want a useful Forum to coordinate the various initiatives that are taking place in Europe and to build all the possible joint actions.

Our proposal is that of a process, where each force is invited to co-develop at all stages, a process that seeks to expand every day.

Let’s start in Marseille, 10 and 11 November 2017, for the first edition of this forum! Join us now!

Signatories of the Call

Name

Organisation / Party

Country

ACERBO Maurizio

National Secretary of the Partito della Rifondazione Comunista

Italy

ALEXOUPOULOS Sotiris

Pireus Initiative for Support of refugees and immigrants

Greece

Alliance for Free Movement

United Kingdom

ANAGNOSTOPOULOU Sia

Member of Parliament; Former Deputy Minister of Education, Research and Religious Affairs

Greece

ANDERSSON Li

President of the Left Alliance

Finland

Another Europe is Possible

United Kingdom

APOSTOLOS Kalogiannis

Mayor of Larissa

Greece

ASSASSI Eliane

President of the CRC Group in the Senate

France

AUTAIN Clémentine

Spokesperson of Ensemble!

France

BADEA Marin

Vice-President of the Romanian Socialist Party

Romania

BAIER Walter

Political coordinator of transform! Europe

Austria

BALAS Guillaume

Member of the European Parliament S&D, Progressive Caucus

France

BALIBAR Etienne

Anniversary Chair Professor at the Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy (CRMEP) at Kingston University